Conducted By: Denis Bridger
Based in Toronto ON, Alt-Punk/Post-Hardcore four-piece, Napoleon, has been attracting attention from fans and media alike since their formation in early 2018. Celebrated as one of ‘23 Canadian bands Silverstein‘s Shane Told knows will keep the scene alive’ in an article by Alternative Press where the famed vocalist filled the publication in on what he feels is the best of the best in Canadian music, the band’s praises are sung far and wide. Alt-Press went on to call the band “heavy in an original fashion,” and say that “Toronto should be proud of these up-and-comers.”
Known and loved for their high-energy, in-your-face performances that will leave a mark on not only your mind but probably your body too (if you’re doing it right), the band has played alongside acts including Escape The Fate, Single Mothers, Cancer Bats, Fame On Fire, Indian Handcrafts, Bastardane, Michale Graves of the Misfits, and more. They have also left their indelible mark on the stages of NXNE, Canadian Music Week, Gusapalooza, No Passage Fest, and are always announcing more gigs. Their distinguished live show is well-known in the Canadian music scene, once described by Canadian Beats Magazine (who has also interviewed the band) as “loud, sweaty, and completely overwhelming in all of the best ways.”
The Metal Pit‘s resident hardcore/punk aficionado, Denis Bridger, picks the collective brain of this up-and-coming band on topics as varied as their newest EP (Dear God), band life, and life on the road!
Q: First question would be, why Napoleon? Being from the UK, he’s not a popular figure here. So, what’s the story?
A: I wish we had a cool story for this but we don’t! We chose the name after the At The Drive In song
‘Napoleon Solo’, but really it kinda just came down to we had a few options and that was the one we
liked the best.
Q: You are just about to release Dear God – your second EP. Are the songs on this EP about asking a god for something? Maybe you are asking a god to sort out the world’s problems or maybe something
more personal? Tell us more.
A: It’s definitely a more personal thing, the record deals with my own personal views on religion. I feel that there are certain people out there that like to use their religion as an excuse to look down on other
people, and use their worship almost like a competition. Even if I don’t share the same beliefs as
someone, I can respect and hear out what other people have to say. It is upsetting that not everyone
can do the same.
Q: There seems to be a lot of support for up and coming bands in Toronto, recently I interviewed
Diamond Weapon, don’t know if you know those guys?
A: Of course! Diamond Weapon are awesome! We had them supporting a couple shows on a tour we did this past winter! Great band, and great guys!
Q: Is the local music scene in Toronto as welcoming as it seems from the outside? Do bands help each
other out a lot? And am I right in thinking that there are plenty of venues for bands to hone their skills
in Toronto? It seems so.
A: I think so! I feel that most of the bands we’ve played/toured with have been really awesome, and most of the venues here are also run by good people. I wish we had more though, specifically all ages. It’s tough to get a good all ages show in the city
Q: You formed in 2018. What’s the backstory on how the band was formed?
A: I started Napoleon when I was in high school! At first it was kinda just something we did for fun, but we really fell in love with playing shows and doing the whole thing so we decided to give it a real shot!
Q: Your last EP (Enemy Within) got a lot of attention, collaborating with Shane Todd of Silverstein. Have
you made any changes with your sound since that release? How has your sound progressed since?
A: Dear God is definitely a lot heavier and darker, both musically and lyrically compared to Enemy Within. This is the direction we’ve been going in for the last couple of years, it really started when Fullsize Problem came out in 2022!
Q: I know that your shows are sweaty with the usual moshing, full of energy, and have been highly
praised. Are your shows getting bigger now?
A: I think so! Most nights on tour our shows are fairly well attended these days which is awesome! We’re trying this year to make sure we’re bringing out really strong line ups to all our headlining shows, which I think will help!
Q: Now… Canada is a big country – what are the complications with playing shows around Canada? Many bands these days complain about the cost of touring and playing shows. Have you played much out of Toronto? How does living in such a big country affect the shows you play?
A: Unfortunately, most of the big cities in Canada have wild distances between them, and with the costs of work visas rising all the time, getting to the US is becoming less and less attainable, which sucks, but we use this to our advantage, too. We always make an effort to hit small towns on every tour we do, and we find those shows always do really well, and we get to meet tons of people who don’t get to go to shows very often so it’s a special thing for them. Those types of shows are some of my favourite to play
Q: Are you travelling by van like in the old days?
A: Yes, it’s the best!
Q: Your music is obviously a mix of Hardcore, Punk and Metal but what are your personal influences?
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re not playing in the band?
A: I listen to a ton of different things to be honest. Obviously, I love post-hardcore, but I’m big into metalcore, hardcore, punk, etc. too!
Q: I’ve been checking out a lot of your music and some tracks are very shouty in that Hardcore vein but
then others have more melodic vocals. Maybe it seems that you are still trying out different sounds
and styles. Would this be fair to say?
A: Yeah, definitely. I always like bands that aren’t afraid to push themselves to try new things, when an entire record sounds exactly the same it just gets boring
Q: You seem to be a very tight band, so practice is key. When you are at practice, do you jam ideas that
become songs or is someone the key writer in the band? How do the songs usually form?
A: Thanks! So, usually I write the songs at home, and demo them and send it to the rest of the guys, then
we’ll meet up and put it all together!
Q: What are the preferred topics to write songs about?
A: I don’t really have any to be honest, this EP is the first time I really put a lot of effort into making the songs connect thematically from a lyrical standpoint. I don’t think our next release will focus so much on religion again, it will depend on what’s going on in my life I guess!
Q: And finally…. Plans for this coming year? Any festivals coming up this summer? Will you be touring
with the new EP? Where can fans find you playing?
A: We’re gonna be touring throughout Canada for the next few months! All our dates and tickets are at
napoleontoronto.com!